Over his first two NFL seasons, a case could've been made that Roschon Johnson was not utilized enough in the Chicago Bears' offense. He certainly had more to offer, and if anyone could tap into it, head coach Ben Johnson could,
But it was just not meant to be for Johnson last season. A run of injuries helped limit him to seven games, and he played just four offensive snaps all season. The quick emergence of Kyle Monangai alongside D'Andre Swift was also a huge factor in the reduced role.
All offseason, Johson has been easy to put on the roster bubble. A vague notion about potential trade value still lingers, rooted in the possibility the Bears will try to showcase him during preseason games.
Roschon Johnson's hold on a roster spot in Chicago is slipping away even more
As he named the best player who could still be cut from each NFL roster this offseason, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report landed on Johnson for the Bears.
"As a rookie last season, Kyle Monangai worked his way into a sizable role as the No. 2 running back as a complement to D'Andre Swift. Meanwhile, Roschon Johnson faded into a special teams role."
"Entering a contract year, Johnson isn't going to see much action on offense in the No. 3 spot. Don't be surprised if the Bears cut him, giving the 25-year-old tailback a chance to catch on elsewhere."
If the aforementioned injuries hadn't limited Johnson to seven games last season, maybe he would have had a bigger role in the Bears' offense. That would've meant taking work away from Swift and Monangai, though, which Ben Johnson established early on he was not willing to do in deference to the value Johnson provides on special teams.
On top of an essentially nil offensive role last season, with no signs it'll be better this year, Johnson now has extra competition for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. Besides Brittain Brown and Deion Hankins, undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett is a very interesting candidate to make a push for a roster spot.
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If Johnson is going to be on an NFL roster this year, the likelihood it's with the Bears is very slim unless something changes dramatically. It's also possible he doesn't stick on the offseason roster all the way to training camp. If the writing is on the wall in that way, he may ask for his release before camp so he can more easily find an opportunity elsewhere.
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